Worlds Apart
by Twinkles Roxy
Summary: What if there were other worlds and other realities beyond what we know? And what if that line was crossed? Would you risk your life for a world in danger that wasn't even your own? (Part 2 edited; Part 3 added: This one has some humor)
1. The Krepp Theory

Chapter 1: The Krepp Theory  
  
Disclaimer: ThEy ArE nOt OuRs, BuT tHe FuTuRe VeRsIoN oF tHeM iS, kInDa.^_^  
  
Authors note: Roxy: Hey, we wrote this months ago. I wonder why it wasn't posted? TWINKLES?!?! Twinkles: Oh.Yeah.. About that..well, you how you leave something on your computer and then you forget, I mean Xavier makes you forget. Don't you hate that? Roxy: (glares at Twinkles) Yeah.sure. Anyways, here's the story.. Twinkles: And again, not my fault...it is your fault...oh wait, yeah, yup, definitely my fault.  
  
X  
  
^_^hehehe  
  
  
  
  
  
Professor Krepp was famous for his amazing theory, now called by other scientists 'The Krepp Theory'. He believed that there are millions of parallel worlds. Some in which there is only a slight difference. Whereas others can be different as day and night.  
  
For years, scientists have tried to prove this theory correct, but alas there hasn't been anyone who was able to give reliable proof. Careers have been ruined for the men who dedicate their lives to this 'theory', and in the end became laughing stocks form their colleagues.  
  
But what if one had the ability to go from one 'world' to another. Would he use this gift to prove the Krepp Theory? To show people the many wonders? Or maybe give insight on how the world would have been if they did something different?  
  
No.  
  
All he wants is to save his 'world'.  
  
*******************************************  
  
Scott was jolted awake by the intruder alarm. He jumped out of bed and put on his fighting uniform. After he threw on his visors he ran out of the room, only to be greeted by the rest of the X-men running out of their rooms.  
  
The X-men ran (or flew) down the stairs with Cyclops and Wolverine leading. Since they were expecting to have to run outside, they were shocked to find the intruder standing in the foyer. They stood around him poised for attack.  
  
The intruder stood in the middle of all of them. They couldn't see his face, because he was wearing a heavy cloak. The figure raised his arm, everyone held their breaths. He placed his hands on his head cover, as if he was going to remove it. "Well, it only took you three minutes to get down here," the figure said in a male German accent, "I could have killed all of you already."  
  
He removed his head cover and everyone gasped. The man looked like an older, harder version of Kurt!  
  
"Who are you?" Wolverine growled.  
  
The man smiled, "My name is Kurt Wagner, also know as Nightcrawler."  
  
"Huh?" Kurt who may have been half asleep, suddenly bolted up.  
  
Wolverine jumped forward and placed his claws right be his throat, "Try again."  
  
The man raised his eyebrow in an amused expression, next thing Scott knew the man was gone with only a cloud of smoke left behind, and repapered standing in between Rogue and Storm.  
  
"Oh, Logon. You're still as I remember..and that's why you're dead."  
  
"What? Can you explain yourself, sir?" Storm asked.  
  
The man smiled, "Call me Wagner. Everyone does."  
  
Storm nodded, "Well, er.Wagner, would you mind explaining who you really are and what you want?"  
  
Wagner nodded, "Well, first thing to know, I not here to hurt you." He walked up towards Kurt, "Second I'm him from a different world." Everyone stared at him shocked, "And third I'm here, because I need you're help. Where's Professor Xavier?"  
  
**************************************  
  
Everyone sat around Professor's office, after the Professor had scanned Wagner to prove that he was not hostile, though the Professor admits he was rather confused at what he saw.  
  
"Well, Mr. Wagner, can you explain what I saw?" Xavier asked with a smile.  
  
"Just Wagner. Not Mr." He stated.  
  
"My apologies."  
  
Wagner smiled and nodded, "Well, before I began I should ask do any of you believe in the Krepp theory?"  
  
"The theory about parallel worlds?" Jean inquired as she leaned forward with interest.  
  
Wagner smiled, "Yes that's the one."  
  
"What of it?" Scott asked.  
  
Wagner stood up straight and opened his arms wide, "I'm Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler from world #10822."  
  
"WHAT????" All the voices yelled.  
  
**********************************  
  
  
  
After everyone got over the shock, and had hours to discussed what the theory was and what Wagner had said.  
  
"Let me make sure I have everything," Xavier began to recap what Wagner had just told them the last couple of hours. "You are from the future."  
  
"An ALTERNATIVE future." Wagner cut in.  
  
"Excuse me, an -alternative- future," Xavier correct himself before he went on, "You came to our 'world' to seek our help?"  
  
"Yes." Wagner replied, "we had no other options, we're dying over there, literally."  
  
Xavier nodded, "There's a war on your 'world'?"  
  
Wagner nodded grimly.  
  
Xavier looked down, "And you say that mutants are in danger."  
  
"We're few that fight, and those who don't are simply too afraid."  
  
Everyone sat in silence of the harsh news they were told.  
  
"So, that's our future?" Kurt asked from the corner of the room.  
  
Wagner stepped up to him, and placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder, "No, that is MY world. Not yours." Wagner assured him, "in fact when I was your age the war had already started."  
  
Kurt nodded, relieved, as everyone else in the room was.  
  
"So professor," Wagner addressed Xavier, "are you and your team going to help us?"  
  
All eyes turned towards Xavier waiting for his response. Xavier looked down and took a deep breath, as if thinking. After a few moments of silence the Professor looked up and answered, "We'll help."  
  
********************************  
  
As everyone prepared to leave, Wagner was asking questions to Logan about how well trained the team was.  
  
When the team re-assembled in the foyer, Wagner strolled over to the professor with a confused look on his face, "Xavier, may I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Wagner scratched his head, "Well, Logan was telling me about each team member, and I noticed he never mentioned some of them, have they made no progress?"  
  
Xavier knitted his eyebrows, "May I ask who they were?"  
  
Wagner placed his hand under his chine, "Well, er.Mystique, Avalanche, Quicksilver, Toad and Blob to name a few."  
  
"The Brotherhood!" Cyclops yelled.  
  
"The what?" Wagner asked.  
  
"The Brotherhood," Evan answered, "They're the bad guys, and we fight each other."  
  
Wagner looked more confused, "They're your enemies?"  
  
Jean nodded, "Aren't they're yours?"  
  
Wagner shook his head, "Why we fight with our own kind, they're only a few of us left. Besides we're all fighting for the same thing." He looked around the room, "For the right to live."  
  
A few of the X-men lowered their heads, slightly ashamed. They're problems seemed so minimal compared to Wagner's world.  
  
"Do you need them too?" Kitty asked, being the only one to associate with one of the members on regular basis.  
  
Wagner appeared to think about it for a minute and then nodded his head, "Yes, they're powers will be useful."  
  
"Well, Mystique isn't with them anymore."  
  
Wagner sighed, "Very well, but we'll need the rest of them."  
  
"Okay, but got a problem." Scott said. Everyone turned towards his, "How do we get them to help us?"  
  
*************************************  
  
It was a beautiful summer day at the brotherhood home. Todd was inside, a bit bored, and a bit hungry. Glancing out the window, he scanned the back yard for any type of large larva.  
  
"Lets see..tree, bush, rock, sign, grass, nest.wait, sign?" He quickly turned his head back a few paces, and sure enough, there was a sign with an arrow that said "FLYS." Toads eyes widened at the prospect of food. Never did it occur to him how the sign got there, our how a sign could determine just where the flys would be. "Be back in a minute Fred! The food is on! Woo hoo!" Toad went running outside.  
  
Passing the sign hanging on a tree he ran through the bushes and smack dab into something else hanging from a tree. "What the.." He tried to open his eyes but a sticky sweet substance covered his face. Slapping his tongue up he licked his face. "Hmm honey! Now where are the flys?" That's when he realized that a large swarm gathering in front of him. It only took him a second. "Ahhh!!! Bees!" Toad took off running.  
  
Meanwhile, in the brotherhood house. Pietro came down stairs. "Hey Fred, where'd Toad go?"  
  
Fred glanced out the window, and saw Toad running by, a large swarm of bugs behind him. "Oh he's out chasing flies." He turned back to the newspaper he had been reading. "Did you know that the nasdaq is down?"  
  
"What, really? What about Qualcomm stock? Is that doing okay?"  
  
Fred scanned a moment than shock his head in surprise. "No, it down over 13 cents."  
  
Pietro grasped his heart, "No! My stocks, my money!" He collapsed to the floor, and Fred went back to his reading.  
  
Meanwhile toad was running further and further from the house. "Ahhh! Help me!" As he ran along he grabbed rocks which he threw back at the swarm of bees, but obviously, they were not being deterred.  
  
Toad saw a pond up ahead, if he could only get there! With a running leap he dove for the water  
  
"Hah! Ya! What now? What now?" He called back to the bees. "Hey wait, I can't swim! Ahhh!! Help! Drowning!" Quickly he jumped from the water, as he did he suddenly started floating.  
  
"Wha.?" Toad looked down and around. That's when he noticed Jean, her finger barley tapping her temple.  
  
"What do ya want, Red?" Toad yelled down at her. Suddenly, a rope appeared and started to wrap around him, holding him tight.  
  
"Hey what's going on?" Toad tried to move around, and untie himself, but suddenly, he realized that Jeans finger was off her head. "Uh oh.Ahhh!" He came dropping to the ground.  
  
"This is kidnapping, I hope you know!" Toad yelled, "Help, I'm being mutant- napped!"  
  
***************************************  
  
Pietro was rather proud of himself. He recovered quite well from his near heart attack. Standing up, he looked around. "You know Fred, Todd is taking a long time. I think I'll go look for him." He had nothing better to do. Fred raised his hand up to wave. Never taking his eyes off the newspaper.  
  
Pietro looked around the back yard, by this time the sign was gone. "Todd!" He called out. There was no answer, so he started heading into the bushes.  
  
Meanwhile, the X-men had done their best to get Toad away from the others, they figured he would be fairly easy to detain without the help of his big brothers. Surprisingly though, they were wrong.  
  
As soon as Toad had hit the ground, he bounded up again. Throwing himself at Jean. After knocking her down he tried to run.  
  
"Oh no you don!" Rogue moved in front of him. "We said we can handle' ya guys, and ah know we can!" Without hesitating she leaped for him.  
  
"Ahh!" Don't touch me!" Toad yelled jumping away. Rogue landed on the dirt.  
  
Toad looked from Jean to Rogue and back again. Rogue quickly pulled Jean up, she had almost fallen into the pond, and they slowly begin moving toward Toad.  
  
"Don't worri, wer not gonna hurt ya." Rogue said between clenched teeth.  
  
That's when Toad had an idea. "Ya, I know you aren't!" Jumping forward he kicked both feet out. One hit Jean, and the other Rogue. Both girls went flying into the water!  
  
Toad opened his mouth to laugh, but just as he did he felt a piece of duck tape and a hand clamp over it.  
  
"Sorry about this." A sweet voice said.  
  
A moment later he felt something hit his head, and he was out. Amara stood behind him holding a stick, with a worried look on her face. "I hope I didn't hit him too hard."  
  
"Ah hope you did!" Rogue said, still sitting in water.  
  
Jean nodded. "Thank you Amara. At least this water isn't dirty. You know, it's so cool it's almost relaxing. Hey maybe we should throw Toad in." The girls smiled.  
  
Amara leaned over and helped Rogue up. "No, we don 'ave time. We still said we'd get.."  
  
"Toad!!!" Her words were interrupted by Pietro.  
  
"He's not supposed to be here!" Amara whispered.  
  
Rogues eyebrows lifted. "Quick! Ah 'ave an idea, play along Amara!" Moving passed Amara she pushed her into the water, and threw herself into the bushes.  
  
Jean smiled, and Amara looked confused.  
  
"Toad! Where on earth could he be!" Pietro said annoyed. "He better not be playing tricks on the X-fre..girls!" Pietro said in shock as he saw them.  
  
Amara and jean stood in the water, up to their thighs. Pietro's jaw dropped. Jean had tied he top half of her shirt up. And Amara waved. Tossing her hair back jean smiled. "Hello Pietro."  
  
He quickly gained composure, he knew something had to be wrong, but he didn't really mind at the moment. "What are you two doing here?" He asked skeptically.  
  
They looked at each other and grinned. "You know Pietro." Jean began. "You've always been my favorite brotherhood member." Amara nodded. "Your so strong and handsome."  
  
Pietro blushed, then stood up straight. "I know, that's what everyone tells me." he quickly shook his head, trying to snap himself out of it. "But really, what are you doing here?"  
  
Jean rang her hair out a little. "Going for a swim." She winked, "you want to join us?"  
  
Pietro's jaw dropped. "I..ahhh...I...ahhh." Jean and Amara slowly started walking towards him. "Don't be shy." Amara batted her eyes innocently. "Yes," Jean moved closer, "We're not going to hurt you."  
  
Pietro gulped, then smiled deviously, "Please do."  
  
Rogue stepped up behind Pietro undetected. "Okay." Before Pietro could react she touched his cheek before he could run off. Soon Pietro fell down unconscious.  
  
Rogue smiled, "All in a days work!"  
  
****************************************  
  
Blob munched on yet another snack, it was only his sixth for the day, and so he was still good. His peaceful moment was ruined by and red blast. Blob looked up and saw Cyclops and Sunspot. Blob jumped up and charged towards them.  
  
Scott blasted him and Blob was halted. Sunspot had snuck behind him, and with all his strength he lifted Blob above his head and threw him across the room. Blob crashed through a brick wall. After he was a bid dazed, that's when Iceman appeared and froze he feet to the ground. With Blob being stuck they were able to tie a rope around him.  
  
A few seconds later Rogue zipped in, using Pietro powers. She tapped Fred and soon he was unconscious.  
  
Scott smiled. "Thanks Rogue." That's when he realized she was soaking wet. "Ah, Rogue, why are you wet."  
  
Jean and Amara came in dragging the other two brotherhood members.  
  
Scott looked at them with surprise. Then interest as he noticed Jean choice in clothing. "And why are you guys wet?" He smiled a little, waiting for their answer.  
  
The girls glance at each other. Jean spoke. "We detained the two brotherhood teammates like we said we could, then had so much extra time we took a swim. What took you so long? You only had to get one?" Rogue and Amara turned and looked at Scott with same smug expression.  
  
Scott smiled. "Maybe cause mine is four times the size of your two guys put together." He smiled and shook his head. "We should get back. Are you sure that's what happened?  
  
***************************************  
  
Boom-boom was dancing around her porch with her headphones on. Suddenly, she smelled brimstone. She turned around and saw Kurt with his smoke slowly disappearing. She pulled off her headphones and gave Kurt a confused look.  
  
"Hey, Tabby." Kurt waved.  
  
Rapidly her confused look turned into an angry one, "Look Kurt, I heard all about you and Amanda. So if you think."  
  
Kurt gave her a meek look, "About that Tabby."  
  
Unexpectedly, several duplicates of Multiple-man appeared and jumped Boom- Boom.  
  
"What the.?" Tabby yelled.  
  
".Sorry." Kurt finished.  
  
One of the duplicates hit Tabby a bit too hard, rendering her unconscious.  
  
*****************************************  
  
Soon all the team had reassembled at the mansion. Tabby and Blob were still knocked out. Pietro woken up and was seething next to Toad. All of them still tied up, with Pietro legs tied together and Toad mouth covered.  
  
"Where's Avalanche?" Wagner asked.  
  
At that moment Kitty and Lance walked in.  
  
"Kitty!" Scott yelled, "Why isn't Lance tied up?"  
  
Kitty shrugged, "I just told him that I was leaving on a dangerous mission, and he demanded he's come. Said that way he could protect me. So I told him all about Wagner and the mission."  
  
It was then Lance stepped forward and saw his teammates all tied up. He gave Scott and angry look then looked back at Pietro who was still seething, and then Lance burst out and pointing.  
  
"Perhaps," The Professor asked, "You can explain why we have taken them, Lance?"  
  
"Muh maap" Toad yelled, but because his mouth was covered he was impossible to understand.  
  
"What?" Sam asked.  
  
Well, almost impossible, "He said," Pietro began, "Mutant-napped! Which we were!" Pietro's anger subsided when he saw Jean, Rogue, and Amara walk up. "Oh look, the three musketeers!" A mischievous expression covered his face. "Thanks for the show girls." He winked. Scott looked at the girls who looked everywhere but his direction, then looked back at Pietro, who shrugged grinned.  
  
Lance rolled his, it was at that time Boom-Boom and Blob woke up. So Lance started to retell the events that Kitty told him.  
  
Meanwhile, Xavier rolled over to Wagner who was busily positioning his gear.  
  
"Are you sure that you will be able to transport all of us?"  
  
Wagner paused at what he was doing before answering, "Don't worry. None of Forge's machines have failed." Wagner gave him a reassuring smile.  
  
After a few more minutes, Wagner was ready. "Is everyone else ready?" He called out.  
  
By then the Brotherhood members were freed. Wagner started pressing the buttons, "Okay everybody hold hands." Everyone was holding had, making a complete circle.  
  
Wagner teleported.  
  
Everything was dark for a moment then slowly like came back. Once the teleporting smoke disappeared they all looked around in wonder.  
  
It looked dead. Everything was in shambles. Buildings collapsed, dead warriors all over, and dryness. It seemed, as there was no life at all.  
  
Of course not everything as it seems.  
  
"Well, well." A voice called out. Through the thick fog a man appeared. "What do we have here?"  
  
Suddenly, a new voice spoke up from the other side. "It looks like a bunch of muties to me."  
  
"Yeah, and we all know how we feel about muties." A third voice appeared from in between the two men.  
  
"The only good mutant," And alas, from across the third man a yet another voice spoke out, ".Is a dead mutant."  
  
And with those last words he pulled out his gun as well as the other men.  
  
"Ha," Pietro shouted, "You can't hurt us, we have powers." The men seemed amused.  
  
"Uh, not exactly," Wagner cut in, "If we get hit by those gun, they temporally stop us from using out powers."  
  
"What?" Sypke yelled.  
  
"Still," Blob said, "There's 23 of us and only four of them."  
  
And at that moment men appeared from everywhere, out numbering them and with guns.  
  
"Well," Wagner said, "Welcome to my life." 


	2. A Warm Welcome

Part 3: A Warm Welcome  
  
Wagner yelled out, "Stick together, everyone."  
  
Wagner looked around worried. He was too tired to teleport a group this large again. And he knew the other Kurt wasn't strong enough.  
  
Out of the blue an optic red blast shot under several of the soldiers, making them fly in all direction. Wagner looked at Scott and saw his surprise look. If he didn't do it, that means..  
  
"Thank God!!!" Wagner shouted.  
  
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew and several more (standing) men were missing their guns. When the 'wind' stopped, there stood a man with a mischievous grin, and large pile of guns next to him. He held two of the guns in his hands and pointed them to the soldiers, "Now, I know this gun were made for mutants to lose their powers, so the won't do any damage to you," he gave them a wicked smile, "but I'm betting they'll still hurt like heck."   
  
At this time, Cy pushed the other remaining men over towards Silvers pile. "We surrender." Mumbled one of them meekly.   
  
Silver gasped, "Do you? Do you really? Thank goodness, because I was beginning to wonder, I just don't know what we would have done if you didn't open your lousy good for nothing human mouth and tell us!" He yelled in the guys face.   
  
"The question is, what should we do with them?" Cy said, glaring at all of them from under his visor.   
  
"Ya, now that's the tricky part, if Jeannie were here..." Silver stopped himself but a little too late.   
  
Cy turned to him with clenched fists. "But she's not, now is she? Nevermind, have any ideas Silver?"   
  
Silver put his hand to his chin and started looking around, he stopped as he saw Jean. A second later Jean felt someone grab her hand, and a second after that she was standing in front of Scott's duplicate, holding the hand of Pietro's duplicate.   
  
Cy looked at her with shock, he almost thought he was dreaming, then he remember, the parallel world plan. For a moment he found himself wishing that it was a dream, and that it was just the two of them, that is, his Jeannie.   
  
Silver smiled. "Look what I found. Jeannie junior, and we can use her." Cy nodded, then turned away to hide his pain from her, but Jean felt it.   
  
"Okay." Silver pushed her in front of the group of fearful humans. "Go for it."   
  
"What?" She looked at him puzzled.   
  
"You know," he held his hand out toward the humans. "Wipe their minds."   
  
"What?" She just stared at this very strange Pietro, with a tinge of fear.  
  
  
  
He looked a little impatient. "Do what you do, wipe their minds. You know, empty, insane, clean um out so you can see clear through one ear, make em go, cuckoo." She just stood there with a confused looked. "Come on." He said in an annoyed voice.   
  
Wagner stepped up. "No Silver, she can't. She's younger in years and powers than Jeannie was. She's not ready to try that. None of them can."   
  
Silver stilled looked puzzled, and Cy remained silent, showing no emotion.   
  
"Then what are they here for? We don't need babies. We need soldiers." A voice came from the fog as a girl emerged. She looked like Kitty but a little older, in more outrageous clothes, and with a patch over her eye.   
  
Cy turned to her, "Kat, we need their help."   
  
Pietro, a little offended zipped into the group. "No, no I don't think you do need us according to 'Kat' here, she take care of them herself, can't you KittyKat?"   
  
She moved towards him menacingly. Cy put a hand on her shoulder. Kat smirked and looked at Silver, "I guess you're a smart mouth in every world, aren't you?" She glared at Pietro.   
  
Silver shrugged. "Oh I don't know, it's a gift, really."   
  
"Enough!" Cy stepped up to the group. "You guys have two options. Either, I can vaporate you now, or we can have Wagner send you to Mutant Isle, and let you stick it out there. What'll it be boys?"   
  
The humans said nothing. Either way, they would probably end up dying. Cy looked around at the surprised X-Men.   
  
Kat, who was sick of standing silent and glaring at the humans chimed in. "Why don't we just feed them to the arachnids?" The humans gasped in fear. Kat turned to them. "At least you'd stayed alive longer, sure, you would have half your blood sucked out of you every day, but you'd live for a while, enough time to contemplate the things you've done to us!"   
  
Cy, who was obviously the leader, stepped up. "No, for the sake of our new found friends we won't do that. But we do need to get rid of them. Wagner, I know your power is weak, so use Jeannie's mind strength, and throw them out of this world."   
  
Wagner nodded and turned to Jean. "Jean, I am sorry, but we must get rid of them."   
  
Jean nodded. Wagner took her hands. "Just concentrate your mind into mine, and do not let go." Jean placed her hands on his head. The second she did she cringed. It was like her powers were almost combining with Kurts to help energize where he was low. She was linking their minds. Wagner reached his hands out and grabbed her, aware that she was about to collapse from a loss of power. A second later the group of humans disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and Jean collapsed, completely unconscious.   
  
Cy nodded. "She'll be alright. Come on, lets get out of sight."  
  
**************************************   
  
Magnus looked at the decaying wasteland. Vast emptiness as far as he could see. "Ugh." He grunted disgusted.   
  
"What is the matter my love?" A soothe voice asked, behind him.   
  
He turned briefly and looked at her, "The same as always, Raven." He turned and looked out the window again, "Disgusted at how mutants have to live."   
  
Raven nodded, understanding. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him, from behind. "It's sad, while mutants have to live here in the Savage Land, humans get live in the only place on earth that still has resources."   
  
"Yes." Magnus agreed, "And they throw their own waste here as well. Mutants have to live off their waste." He looked at her, "Do you think it'll ever change?"   
  
Raven sighed, "Maybe, with the help Wagner's bringing." She held him tighter, "I hope so. There are only so many dead children's faces I can stand." She closed her eyes, at the memory of the twelve-year-old mutant she found yesterday.   
  
Magnus opened him mouth to reply but stopped at the angry voice of Kat, downstairs. "What do you mean, you can't change the density of other objects?" Kat yelled at Kitty.  
  
"I mean, that I can't do that!" Kitty defended herself.   
  
"Then -what- can you do?"   
  
Kitty shrugged, "I can phase through things."   
  
Kat looked at her annoyed, "That's it! That's all you can do!!! You mean to tell me that you're barely in the beginning stages of your powers!"   
  
"Um...yes." Kitty mumbled, embarrassed.   
  
Kat glared at the rest of the room, "Are all of you in the first stages?"   
  
Storm stepped forward, "You must understand, we are from a completely different world."   
  
Kat rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever!"   
  
"Wagner." A voice boomed.   
  
They all turned and saw a man and blue-skinned woman that resembled Magneto and Mystique. Wagner stepped forward, "Hello, Magnus. I have returned."   
  
Magnus looked at the new comers, "Is this the help you found?"   
  
"Help?" Kat asked sarcastically, "What help?" She glared at the kids, "We needed soldiers, these are just a bunch of X-babies." She looked at Scott, "What's the count of the number of humans you've killed?"   
  
Scott's eyes widen, "Zero!"   
  
"Zero?!" This time it was Silver that shrieked.   
  
Xavier wheeled forward, interrupting, "The X-men don't kill." It was a simple fact and the most important rule.   
  
Kat turned her all her attention towards him, "You were always a weak and foolish man, Xavier. That's why you were one of the first that went down."   
  
"That's enough!" Cy stepped in before Kat got real ugly.   
  
Kat glared at him, challenging him. He glared back accepting the challenge. They stared down each other for a few moments, before Kat huffed and stomped off, indicating that Cy won.   
  
Silver watched her huff off. He looked at his father, "I better check on her." He mumbled, as he ran after her.   
  
"Gosh, why is she like that?" Kitty asked after they were gone.   
  
Raven stepped forward, "Don't mind Kat. She was raised by Sabertooth then later by Wolverine." She placed a hand on Kitty's shoulder, "Not to mention Kat never had the easiest of lives."   
  
"Yeah, well," Cy said, "You try to go through life knowing that one of your best friends and the love of your life is dead and it's all your fault."   
  
"But it's not Kat's fault," A soft, southern voice called out. They all turned and saw a woman and two men walking up.   
  
"I don't dink dats what he meant, chere." On of the men answered.   
  
"Yeah, Ro." The other man spoke, "Cy meant nothing bad, just what he thinks Kat feels, though hes probably mixing her feelings with hi...someone elses."   
  
'Ro' was obviously Rouge. The first man was unfamiliar, and the second must be Iceman, being that the man was 'iced up'.   
  
Ro noticed the unconscious woman in Scott's arms, "You wanna lay her down somewhere?"   
  
"Yes, please." Scott smiled at the woman.   
  
"Come on."   
  
"No wait!" Cy stopped them, "I'll take her." He grabbed Jean from Scott's arms. With Jean in his arms, Cy started to walk out of the room.   
  
Scott glared at his back, "I'll come too." He said as he walked behind him.  
  
  
  
Cy turned to open his mouth in reply, but after a pause he closed it and nodded.   
  
After they were gone, Magnus turned towards Xavier, "Thank you for coming. As you can see we desperately need help."   
  
Xavier nodded, understandingly, "Maybe we can talk privately and you may explain the full situation."   
  
"Please follow me." Magnus replied as he started to walk towards his office. Raven came behind Xavier, and helped, pushing him. Storm and Logan gave each other a look and followed them.   
  
The rest of the students and the brotherhood members stood there, not sure what to do.   
  
Ro smiled and looked at her companies, "What ya say, Remy? Ice? Should we give then a tour?"   
  
Ice smiled, "Yeah, let's split them up."   
  
"Da." Wagner agreed, "Get Tabby to come and help."   
  
And so the groups of kids were separated.   
  
Ro got Rogue, Spyke and Ray.   
  
Remy got Kitty, Lance, and Pietro.   
  
Wagner got Kurt, Toad, Blob and Beast.   
  
Ice got Bobby, Amara, Rahne, and Sunspot.   
  
And Boomer got Tabitha, Sam and Jamie.   
  
*******************************************   
  
Cy laid Jean carefully on the small bed.   
  
"Will she be all right?" Scott asked behind him.   
  
Cy studied her, "Yeah, if she's anything like my Jeannie, she will be."   
  
Scott nodded, relived. He noticed the way Cy was trying to make her as comfortable as possible.   
  
Scott stepped forward, slightly blocking Cy from Jean, "But she's not your Jeannie."   
  
Cy stared at him for a moment then turned away. "Yeah, sure, never said she was."   
  
Scott turned his attention towards Jean on the bed. He smiled fondly as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face. He was so worried when he watched her fall unconscious earlier.   
  
He heard Cy chuckle behind him. "What?" He glared at him.   
  
Cy shook his head, "Nothing, it's just I'm finally seeing what they meant." He sat on a nearby chair.   
  
"Seeing what?" Scott asked as he sat on the bed, besides Jean.   
  
Cy sighed, remembering, "The team use to tease me about when I used to act like that." He answered pointing to Scott and Jean.   
  
Scott's eyebrows knitted, confused, "Act like what?"   
  
"Whenever something happened to Jeannie, even if it was something as small as a headache. I would stand like you did just a second ago."   
  
Scott still had no idea what Cy was talking about. "Stand like what?"   
  
Cy sighed. "Tense, on guard. Making sure she's fine. Glaring at everybody, except at her. Almost like it's everyone else's fault she was in any way uncomfortable, yet at the same time never loosing that look of sincere love and admiration."   
  
Scott nodded, finally understanding. And he had to admit he noticed that he too would do that with his own teammates.   
  
There was a long silence, before Scott broke it.   
  
"So," Scott asked cautiously, "What did happen to your Jeannie?"   
  
Cy closed his eyes in pain, "She was killed." He stood up, angrily. He started to walk towards the door.   
  
Cy had already reached the door and opened it, when Scott had spoken again.  
  
  
  
"How?" Scott whispered   
  
Cy turned his head halfway, but still not facing Scott, "She was tortured by," He said his next word with venom and hatred, "humans." And he walked out.   
  
Scott's sigh, "What world have we come to?" He asked himself.   
  
"Scott?" Jean's soft voice called for him.   
  
******************************************   
  
Magnus sat behind his desk, with Raven standing beside him, leaning in his chair. Across from him, sat Storm who was next to Xavier. Logan stood behind them, arms crossed.   
  
"Well, what is it you want to know?" Raven asked the three.   
  
"Everything." Xavier replied in his calm voice.   
  
Magnus nodded, "It all started many years ago. Life was in a 'tense' state, being that mutants were recently exposed. We, to the humans, were too different to understand. So they reacted the same way they always do when they're afraid. They tried to get rid us."   
  
He paused, as if remembering, "Soon, all world government combined money and work force to evacuate Genosha. They then demanded for all mutants to move there. They claimed it was so humans would slowly become comfortable with the fact that mutants exist. And like blind fools we came. And at the first couple of years everything seemed fine. It seemed we had all the support of the governments. They even told us, humans were starting to accept us. But then their true attentions were reveled, sadly it was too late."   
  
Magnus closed his eyes at the painful memory. Raven placed her hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. She looked at Xavier as continued Magnus story.   
  
"The humans were building Sentinels." She saw their confused looks and explained, "Sentinels don't exist in your world, eh? Lucky you. Sentinels are these...giant robots. They are designed to track down mutants and destroy them."   
  
Xavier's eyes widen, already knowing what had happened.   
  
"Yes, Xavier. The humans sent the Sentinels to Genosha to kill us all."   
  
Magnus stood up, angrily. He turned his back towards them, looking out the window. He spoke in a low and angry voice, "They had planed it all along. They got us all in one place, gave us false hope, and then stabbed us from behind." He turned to look at Xavier, "Obviously some of us managed to survive. The humans weren't planning on that. Those who survived will always have those images of that fateful day. We'll never forget the screams, the blood. We'll never forget the stench of death that lasted for days. We rose above the ashes, with a new determination."   
  
Raven sat on top on Magnus desk, legs crossed, "So ever since then we've been in this war."   
  
"Will you help us?" Magnus asked stepping forward.   
  
"Of course." Xavier nodded.   
  
"But," Storm interrupted, "How exactly are we going to help?"   
  
Raven smiled wickedly, "Ever heard of 'eye for an eye'?"   
  
********************************************   
  
  
  
Love hurts, that's Kat's phrase. It was what she always felt after...certain past incidents.   
  
Kat looked out to the land. 'Dead like everything in my life,' Kat thought bitterly.   
  
"So, are you going to bite my head off too?" A sarcastic voice asked.   
  
"Go away, Silver." Kat didn't bother to turn around, she knew it was him.   
  
Silver sighed, "So, why are you bitter about the world now?"   
  
"What part of 'go away' didn't you understand? The 'go' or the 'away'?" She snarled.   
  
"Well," Silver smiled playfully, "I'm having a bit of trouble with the 'away'."  
  
Kat turned to glare at him, "Would it help you better in I add 'an insult' at the end?"  
  
He shrugged as he walked closer, "Don't know, why don't you try it?"   
  
Kat rolled her eyes, "Why can't you leave me alone?"   
  
"Because, sooner or later, you're going to have to tell someone why you're so mad at the guys from the other world."   
  
"Why? You want to know why I'm mad?" Her voice got loader as she turned to looked at the window again, "Because they're were supposed to be help! What can they do besides get themselves killed!"   
  
Silver shook his head, "I'm not asking for the answer you're going to give Magnus and Cy. I want the truth."   
  
Kat was quiet for a moment, she knew she could never lie to Silver, not matter how much she like to pretend she could. When she spoke again her voice was soft, "Did you see her? The other me. The way she was standing so close to Avalanche? They probably think their love is so forbidden." She swallowed, "At least he is alive in her world. She doesn't have to remember his death day and night. She can hold him."   
  
A lone tear slipped from her one good eye. "I hate having to see what I can never have."   
  
Silver pulled her in him arms, holding her close. "I know how you feel."   
  
"No you don't!" Kat pulled away from him. "Have you ever been in love with someone? Someone you can't hold because that someone was killed!"   
  
Silver looked at her sadly, "No, but I know something worse."   
  
"Yeah? What?" Kat asked sarcastically.   
  
Silver stepped closer to her, "To love someone, someone very much alive and be able to hold her. But the only thing in the way is that she can't let go of the past, and for this reason you have to watch that person die inside a little bit everyday."   
  
"Silver," She looked down sadly, "We've talked about this."   
  
Silver reached out his hand under his chin and pulled her face up to look at him. "I'm sick of talking about it." He whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.   
  
Kat put her hands on his chest, planning on pushing him away, but instead of doing that she found herself pulling him closer. She moved her hands up to wrap around his neck, as her leaned forwards and wrapped his arms around her lower half of her waist. He pulled her closer, raising her up slightly, giving them easier access to each other.   
  
It was heaven for both of them; their kiss was long and deep. And it ended all too soon.   
  
Kat phased out his grasp, eyes wide. She slowly started to walk away.   
  
"Kat." Silver reached out for her.   
  
Kat turned and started to run away.   
  
Silver sighed and ran after, using his super speed to stop right in front of her.   
  
"You can't run away from this again." Silver stood firm, determine to not let go.   
  
"Watch me." Kat started to walk around him, and he stepped there blocking her.   
  
"You know I love you! I've accepted it. Why are you denying what you feel?" He asked.   
  
Kat looked up at sadly, "I stopped denying it to myself, my feelings of love for you." She looked down again, trying to hold back the tear, "But I choose not to act on them" With that said, Kat phased through him, running away.   
  
Silver knew he could catch her, but chose not to. He just stood there with his shoulders slumped.   
  
Yeah, love hurt...a lot. 


	3. Dripping water? Freaky rooms? Cloning? O...

Drip, drip, drip  
  
A pipe leaked above Kitty's head. She was trying to pay attention as Remy explained the history of how they built this underground shelter. But all she could think about was how rude her other self was, and where that annoying water was coming from.  
  
"...So ya see, after it became ta dangeris fer us ta be in above ground level shelters we had ta construct this here. Ya see, it really wasn't ta hard fer us ta do because we jus made this structure, and sevrol' others combine, den sink inta the ground. I guess de main ding we got ta watch out fer are de ground worms."  
  
"Worms?" Lance asked with a laugh. "Toad is gonna love this!"  
  
Remy grinned then shook his head. "Not dis worms. Dey is mutated, kinda like da spiders. Except dey eat anything, includin' metal."  
  
"Yuk!" Pietro made a disgusted face. "I hate bugs!"  
  
Remy nodded. "So does Silver. One time one of dese worms tried ta eat Kat an."  
  
"I hate to interrupt, I'm sure it's a touching story, but can we please move on! I'm not only being put through this Chinese water torture here but it's getting a bit claustrophobic!" Kitty now stood with a frown, and her arms crossed, as the group watched drops of water hit her head every few seconds.  
  
Remy was taken aback a bit, but not nearly as much as Lance, who thought Kitty could never be rude to even a fly. "Okay chere. I fergot you are de same chere as Kat. What do you wanna see now?"  
  
"Can we go outside?" Lance asked, trying to think of what was best for Kitty. "I think Kitty needs some fresh air."  
  
"Sure." Remy shrugged. " 'cept that storms are hittin' more often. Can't promise we won't get caught in one."  
  
Kitty about to scream (seeing as despite her speaking up, she still stood sandwiched between Pietro and Lance, and water was still slowly dripping on her) now pushed her way past the boys. "Storm or no storm, lets get out of here." She stomped up the stairway.  
  
Lance and Pietro looked at each other. "What's got into her?" Pietro asked curiously. Lance shrugged.  
  
Remy laughed. "Wait till that chere's powers enhance!" he turned and followed her up the stairs, as did Lance and Pietro. *******************************************  
  
Meanwhile... "That is one big rock!" Toad marveled at what appeared to be a large tombstone.  
  
Blob put his hand to his chin and looked it over. "Oh yeah? I bet I could lift it. Maybe if I just..."  
  
"I don think you should do that." Wagner cut in, moving in between Blob and the rock.  
  
"This is a commemorative tombstone for all the thousands that died, the first few months the sentinels attacked. It was one big battle." Wagner turned his head and looked off over the barren land. Skeletons on trees, and rocks covered the terrain. And smoke still lifted from parts of the ground. "It was a horrible time. Years ago, I was still young." Wagner looked at Kurt. "Younger than you are now. After the attack, the years passed all too quick." He turned his attention back to the rock. "This rock was carved and placed here as a memory and a warning for those who ever doubt the cruelty of humans."  
  
Silence filled the air as the mutants contemplated what was said. Could the humans of their world ever be as cruel?  
  
"These markings." Beast ran his hand over the surface of the rock. "What language is this?"  
  
Wagner smiled. "We mutants were always more advanced mentally than humans. We created a code in order to write messages without the humans being able to interpret them."  
  
Beast smiled. "I see. A numeric, alphabetic, and symbol code. This is interesting."  
  
Wagner watched as Beast eyed the message. "Can you read it?"  
  
Beast waited a moment before responding. His expression changed to that of a solemn one. "Yes. It says: In anamnesis of all who fought fearlessly, and died unjustly. Woe to whom may find alliance in the hands of those who brought calamity. These will perish as the rest when the adversary is annihilated."  
  
The X-Men and Brotherhood stood silently as the realization hit them. This world wasn't fighting for peace, it was fighting for destruction, of one side or the other.  
  
Wagner scanned the faces of the mutants. He knew that they were just barely beginning to understand how serious this war was. As he had feared, they had no intention of destroying any being, human or mutant. Did he really want to see that kind of innocence changed? Scanning the sky he noticed that thick clouds were beginning to stir, and the sky was darkening. Even the sun had turned to black.  
  
Turning his attention toward the others, he pulled his cloak up over his head. "We must leave quickly. A storm is beginning to stir. There's no time to waste." With that he began to make his way down the hill. A solemn group followed. *******************************************************************   
  
"Watch your head." Ice extended his hand to Amara, as she ducked under a pipe, and made her way down the dark stairway.  
  
Unfortunately, not all in the group had heard. A moment later a loud 'clunk' was heard.  
  
"Ow!" Sunspot rubbed his head briskly. "Why didn't anyone tell me that was there?"  
  
Ice shrugged. "Wups, sorry about that. Come on, there isn't much further to go."  
  
"I hope not." Sunspot mumbled.  
  
"I know," Rahne, who heard everything, responded. "If we go down any further, we're gonna come out in China, or whatever is on the other side of this world."  
  
"You okay Amara?" Ice asked turning and giving her a wide smile.  
  
She blushed. "Yeah, I'm fine thank you."  
  
He nodded then took her hand, "Come on, and follow me."  
  
She grinned as he turned his back. 'I think I like this Bobby more.' She thought to herself as he held her hand. This Iceman was definitely different from the one she knew. Not only did he seem a bit older, but also his appearance was different. His hair was short and spiky, his eyes the same piercing blue, he was a bit more built, and his face was scruffy. Yet, he seemed completely charming to her, as he was.  
  
Ice smiled as he led the group down to the bomb-shelter. Finally, he had met a girl that was different. He was quite used to the wild and hard mutant girls that he got in his world, and he had won the hearts of many. But finally, a girl that was sweet, innocent, yet brave, and not to mention beautiful. Maybe this idea of Magnus would have some good results after all. That is, if their helping save the world thing didn't work out.  
  
"Here we are!" Ice announced stopping quickly. A little to quickly for some.  
  
"Ahh!" Rahne cried as Sunspot ran into her, knocking them both to the ground.  
  
"Sunspot!" Rahne yelled, water and mud now covering her outfit, "Watch where you're going!"  
  
"Sorry." He said embarrassed. "I didn't think we were going to stop so soon." He shrugged apologetically.  
  
Ice entered some numbers then placed his hand on a scanner on the wall. The pad his hand rested on glowed, then a clicking noise came, as the door unlocked and opened. Ice held Amara's hand as she stepped into the room, and then let everyone else enter.  
  
"This," he said as he closed the door. "Is our back-up plan."  
  
The group of X-Men stood in amazement. It was a huge facility. Lighted hallways led off from all sides. And boxes of supplies were stacked against one wall. On the far side were several chambers. It reminded them of what Magneto had created to detain the X-Men not to long ago. The walls, ceiling, and floor were blue, and had the appearance of being made out of ice.  
  
Ice smiled as he saw the looks of surprise on the faces of the X-Men. "The rooms are made from a metallic substance combined with my power. They keep this facility at a below normal temperature. That way, if there is ever some sort of melt down on the surface, those underground won't die of heat stroke when the core temperature changes."  
  
"Is that a possibility?" Bobby asked skeptically. "Do you think that might happen to your world? It might melt?"  
  
Ice shrugged his shoulders. "You never know. But the humans are always inventing weapons that cause mass destruction, maybe sometime, they'll even destroy part of the earth."  
  
"If that did happen," Rahne spoke up, "how many mutants or humans could live down here, and for how long?"  
  
Ice smirked, "Humans could never live down here. Their cell configuration is so different than ours that they could never last for an extended period time in this cold an environment. Even if they didn't feel cold temperature-wise." He shrugged, "It's not the humans that we are excessively worried about, they out number us by far. About 6,000 to 1."  
  
Amara shuddered. "But how many mutants could live down here? How much room and food is there?"  
  
Ice thought in his mind for a few moments, doing a couple calculations. "Adding in the current amount of mutants, plus the possibility of some in captivity still being alive, and allowing for the number resulting from reproduction.... This facility could house approximately 3,000 mutant for 4 ½ years."  
  
The 4 young X-men stood in astonishment. Ice observed their faces, if only he had the abilities of the former Jeannie he would understand their exact reaction. Though it took no powers to see that this number and theory was substantially more than what they had expected.  
  
Rahne eyed Ice, then leaned over to Amara, "There's something he's not telling us." She whispered.  
  
Ice continued. "I'm actually not even supposed to let anyone down here. For fear of contamination, but I'll just ice it when we leave."  
  
"You'll do what?" Sunspot asked as he shuddered at the thought of being any colder.  
  
"Ice it," Ice lifted an eyebrow. "When you all go out, I'll create a layer of ice to cover the whole room, one so cold that no bacteria could exist in the air. Doesn't Bobby do that?"  
  
Bobby shifted his weight. "I guess, I could, I mean, I never really tried. Besides, we have the same powers, yours are just a little more evolved."  
  
Ice nodded. Glancing at Amara, he noticed her shivering. He took oof his leather jacket, exposing his well-defined arms, and placed it over Amara's shoulders. "You cold?"  
  
She nodded. "Thank you."  
  
"All right everyone, we should head out of here, any questions?" He glanced at the group of freezing X-Men. "Okay then, lets move on."  
  
After they exited the room, Ice made his way back in to 'ice it.'  
  
Rahne studied Amara's face, as she watched Ice disappear behind the door. "I don't trust him." She stated, catching everyone off guard.  
  
"What?" They echoed back.  
  
"I don't know what it is, but I get the feeling he's hiding something." She turned and looked at Amara as she spoke to the group. "Maybe we ought to be more careful."  
  
Everyone nodded. Amara's cheeked pinkened a little and she looked at her feet. Maybe she didn't want to be careful?  
  
"That's taken care of." Ice announced as he came out of the room and the door locked behind him. "Let's go back up and I'll show you our food room."  
  
"Okay." The group replied.  
  
"But this time I'm not in the back!" Sunspot called out.  
  
"Like that'll make a difference." Rahne muttered smiling.  
  
"What?" He asked, hearing her say something.  
  
"Oh nothing." She quickly replied. "I'll walk in the back." The truth was, she wanted to get as far away from Ice as she could. **************************************************  
  
Remy took the group to the hills. From there he could safely show them a view of what was left in Mutant City. It wasn't safe for them to go in, not yet at least, they weren't ready.  
  
"Ahh what a lovely view." Pietro said sarcastically as he stared at the ghost town. "The black clouds hovering overhead, the salty wind in your face, and smell of ashes and pine-trees. What is there not to love about a world like this?"  
  
"What on earth.." Kitty muttered as water started to drip down onto her face. "Can I not remain dry for even five minutes!" She had barely finished her sentence when the sky cracked and heavy rain began to pour.  
  
"Ahhh!" Kitty screamed in annoyance. "I hate this place!"  
  
Lance stood with a baffled expression. Had the change in world s brought so big a character change upon his beloved Kitty? 24 hours ago she was still sweet and well mannered. What had happened?  
  
A strong hand clamped down on Lance's shoulder as he watched Kitty stomping in the mud and rain. "Dis rain shou'd cool yur lil' chere off." Remy said chuckling.  
  
He spoke up to the group. "Its gettn bad, if we wait her' any longer we might not make i' home tonight." He signaled to keep moving, but one of the group objected.  
  
"No." Kitty said abstinently. "Everywhere I have gone has been gradually worse than the first place. Then next place I would like to go is home, but since that's impossible, I think we might as well stay right here!" She crossed her arms and sat down on a rock.  
  
Remy shock is head. "No chere. Yur crazy ta think it'll be better her'. We could die in dis storm."  
  
Kitty said nothing, she just glared.  
  
"You jus need sleep chere. Dis whole thing 'as been hard on yur emotions'."  
  
When she still said nothing, he turned to Lance and Pietro. Whilst Lance stood appalled at Kitty's unwillingness to cooperate, Pietro was trying unsuccessfully to control himself from laughing hysterically.  
  
Remy eyed him threateningly. "Dis place has drivn many crazy, its no laughin' matter. Ya two start yur way back."  
  
"What about Kitty?" Lance asked anxiously.  
  
Remy smiled. "I'll take car' of dis."  
  
The two looked at each other and shrugged as they began down the hill. A moment later they heard a very irritated scream from Kitty. The rain was getting heavier and the sky darker, but they were able to make out the figure of Remy moving down the rocky hill casually, with Kitty hanging over his shoulder pounding her fists on his back.  
  
Pietro grinned and nodded. "It's about time someone did that! That's what I'm talking about!" He was still chuckling when Lance fist made contact with his shoulder causing him to stumble back.  
  
"Hey!" Pietro refuted. "I'm just saying that he's my new hero!"  
  
"Shut up Pietro!" Lance called as he turned his back and continued moving down the mountain.  
  
Pietro just shook his head. "Now that's what I call putting a woman in her place!"  
  
A moment later the ground rumbled, and Pietro's next few steps down the hill where transformed into a somersault.  
  
***********************************  
  
As regards Ro's group, well, she enjoyed showing off her accomplishments. Before they knew it, the group of 4 stood watching a machine making artificial replicas of food.  
  
Ro explained. "Because da ground is unsuitable fer farming, we were forced ta look fer others means of agriculture. Since ah was originally raised on a farm, ah became tha perfect candidate. Hank and ah were assigned ta come up with another way ta obtain food rather than growing it. Of course we had tha option of buying it from tha human cities, but they never sell ta mutants, and as far as stealing goes, that could get risky, and tha risks weren't worth tha actual amount of food that we could obtain. So science became tha other alternative."  
  
"Science?" Rogue asked with a confused expression "Ah never liked science." Ro shrugged. "Ther's a lot a differences between us honey." She winked as she pointed to the machines in the food factory. "Hank an ah created machines ta clone food. Sur, it soun's a little gross, but ya can't really taste tha difference. An, it's efficient enough ta make enough food fer all of us."  
  
"Wow!" Ray said, whose stomach was obviously getting the best of him. "All this food!"  
  
Rogue and Spyke turned to him with a disgusted look on their face. He is berzerker!  
  
They all watched as food, or what looked like food traveled along the conveyer belt. It actually looked real. Carrots, celery, tomatos, onions, apples, and oranges. Foods that were normally eaten, accept these all came from the same original fruit or vegetable that was cloned.  
  
Spyke leaned over towards Rogue. "And we're eating dinner here tonight?"  
  
She gulped and made a disgusted face. "Ya don't make yur own water do ya?"  
  
Ro smiled.  
  
"Maybe ah don't want to know?"  
  
Ro shook her head. "It's better that way."  
  
Spyke held his stomach. "I just drank a full glass! I think I'm gonna be sick."  
  
At this point Ray was the only of the three X-men that wasn't thoroughly disgusted. And apparently unaware of the others turning stomachs.  
  
"Hey!" Ray spoke up as if a light bulb had turned on in his head. "Do you guys ever clone pizza?"  
  
Resounding "Ugghhh!'s" Were heard from Rogue and Spyke.  
  
"So." Ro said, "Who's hungry?"  
  
*********************************************  
  
"Now, I like to think that you can tell a lot about people based on the way they live, or where they live," Boomer began, "So I thought of a way to help you get to know everyone a little better, and get a look around." She smiled to herself, "Hah! I'd like to see someone else give a better tour than this!"   
  
Sam and Jaime looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
Boomer cleared her throat, "Ta-da!" She said, stepping back and extending her arm down a long corridor with doors opposite each other on both sides.  
  
"Hmm," Tabitha said sarcastically, "Identical silver doors. Gee, you guys are all so unique!"  
  
Boomer just rolled her eyes at her earth-world self. "Room number one, mine!" A door slid open to reveal a room with wall-to-wall and ceiling mirrors.  
  
Sam yawned. "Are all the mutants of your world this conceded?"  
  
Boomer tapped his chin with her index finger and winked. "Only the best of us."  
  
Tabitha stared in awe. "I guess we are that different after all." She stood there admiring herself, and then decided that it was a good idea to dance around the room. This however, was not a good idea seeing as she underestimated how slippery a mirror like floor would be. A few moments later the group heard a squeal come from the far side of the room, followed by a loud crash.  
  
Boomer went running over. "My mirror!" She cried.  
  
Tabitha sat there holding her knee. "My knee!" Thankfully she hadn't broken a mirror wall, but just a tall single standing mirror.  
  
"What happened?" Sam asked sympathetically as he and Jaime helped Tabitha up.  
  
She pulled away and dusted herself off. "Well, I was not informed of how slippery these floors were, and while I was looking around a tripped and my foot his the base of that mirror, causing it to fall and hit my knee. It hurts rather bad too."  
  
"I should hope so!" Boomer grumbled quietly to herself.  
  
Jaime looked at the broken mirror. Curiously it lies in only four pieces, having cracked at the point that hit Tabitha's knee. "Why didn't it shatter?"  
  
Boomer moved the pieces into the corner. "That's compliments of Ice. He did something to all the mirrors in my room so that they wouldn't break easy, and if they did, wouldn't shatter." She shook her head. "Oh well. I can replace that later, why don't we try another room." She said turning and walking out, the three mutants, one of which was limping, followed.  
  
The group left the room and proceeded to the next. "This room belongs to another one of the girls here. Though its nothing like my style. Ro and me get along, but have very opposite tastes." She entered a code numeric code and the door unlocked.  
  
Jaime spoke up. "I can already guess, the Rogue from our world was always a bit of a goth..." He stopped mid sentence as the door slid open. No matter how strange he had found the Rogue of their world, nothing could have prepared him for the Ro of theirs.  
  
Boomer glanced back and forth at the expressions of the three young mutants, they all looked equally stunned. She thought she might give them an explanation. "Our Ro was raised on a farm."  
  
"That was what I might have thought..." Tabitha mumbled as she scanned the room. A pretty white painted bed stood against the wall, with a pink quilt. White bookshelves lined the walls, filled with and equal amount of books and dolls. Even a few sat on her bed. The walls were painted in a light pink color with white trim. And a few paper flowers sat in a crystal vase on a table in the middle of the room.  
  
Boomer, not understanding the confused look on their faces decided it best to move on.  
  
As she closed the door Jaime shook his. "The memory of that room will haunt me forever."  
  
"Right..." Boomer eyed him curiously. "Now, this next room," she said as they made their way down the hall, "is one that you may only look at, do not touch!"  
  
The mutants didn't understand her orders, but nodded and shrugged anyways. The door slid open to reveal a grand room. One as clean as it was immaculate. There were actually to levels to the room, the second was only two steps higher. On the second level was the bedroom furniture. The comforter and pillows were stark white, and the furniture was silver. The strange thing about this room was that it was the cleanest room any of them had ever seen.  
  
The mutants walked around it, careful not to touch anything. "Whose room is this?" Sam asked curiously as he walked up the second level.  
  
"It's Silver's room." Boomer said plainly. "He's somewhat of a neat freak."  
  
"Hah." Tabitha smiled. "That's not completely different from Pietro. He gets psycho about cleaning."  
  
"Hey!" Jaime said as he looked at the floor. "I can see my face!"  
  
Boomer opened her mouth to say something, when she heard Sam.  
  
"Ha...ha.."  
  
"No..." Boomer began to say, but it was too late.  
  
"Ha...ha....chu!" Sam sneezed. Tiny drops of spit, almost invisible to the eye, flew through the air.  
  
Boomer put hand in her hands. "Oh no! Lets get out of here before he gets back, or he'll go ballistic!"  
  
The group quickly ran out of the room, still careful not to touch anything.  
  
The last door they came to, Boomer smiled mischievously at. "Now, this room we really shouldn't go into at all.." She glanced back and forth at the expressions of the mutants. "...but, since he's on tour right now, there really is no harm in taking a peak." She entered a few numbers, and the door slid open.  
  
The four entered a very nice room. A little more normal than those prior to it. The furniture and colors consisted of lack and royal blue, and there was an aquarium, with some very strange looking fish, that sat on a shelf against the wall.  
  
"Hey!" Tabitha said excited. "It's a waterbed!" She proceeded to bounce up and down.  
  
"Careful," Boomer warned, "We don't want him to know that we were here. No one is allowed in Ice's room!"  
  
"Ice?" Jaime asked. "As in Iceman?"  
  
"We just call him Ice." Boomer replied.  
  
Jaime smiled. "We don't have to be afraid of him. He doesn't get mad at all, he's a softy."  
  
"Yeah, to the ladies." Boomer said rolling her eyes.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tabitha's ears perked up. "Do I sense this is a better looking Iceman?"  
  
Boomer smiled deviously, "Lets just say he has quite a reputation."  
  
"What's in here?" Sam and Jaime stood trying to push open a wardrobe door.  
  
"Ah, you pull it open?" Boomer said with a tinge of sarcasm.  
  
"Oh." Sam pulled hard on the handle, not realizing how easy it would open. The door swung open nearly knocking Sam off balance. Jaime, caught off guard was hit square in the face and fell to the ground. As he did hit powers were activated, and multiples of him flew every which way.  
  
As chance would have it, at that very moment, loud laughter was heard from down the hall.  
  
Boomer stood up straight. "That's Ice! Everybody out!"  
  
Boomer, Tabitha and Sam sought to grab the many Jaime and push them out the door. They all ran out of the room and turned the corner, holding their breath.  
  
"Haha! You're too funny!" Said a giggly girls voice. One that Tabitha recognized, but couldn't place at the moment.  
  
"Here we go." Ice said opening the door. "After you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
The group heard the door close, and let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"That was close." Boomer said as she turned to the group. "Hey! Where'd they all go?"  
  
Tabitha and Sam looked around only to realize that the many multiples had disappeared.  
  
"Where'd they all go?" Boomer repeated.  
  
Sam scratched his head. "After a few minutes they all disappear or re- group back into Jaime, but where'd he go?"  
  
"Ahh!" Boomer slapped herself on the head. At the same moment the others too had the realization. "He's still in the room! Oh boy! I am gonna hear about this forever!"  
  
Sam looked annoyed. "Or more importantly, what if Ice sees him, how is he gonna get out of the room. Is Ice really as mean as you say?"  
  
Boomer cringed. "Ah, he can be?"  
  
Meanwhile, in Ice's room Jaime sat crunched and claustrophobic in the wardrobe. The air was getting hot, and he could hear the muffled sound of voices. He put his ear to the door.  
  
"I know it's here somewhere...ah ha! Here it is." Ice pulled a book out of the shelf and handed it to his girl companion.  
  
"Wow! Does this really cover your world history?" She asked.  
  
Jaime made a face, he knew that voice, Amara!  
  
"As to my knowledge, that's the record." Ice replied.  
  
"Great!" Amara said excited. "The professor assigned me to find out a little more about the ancient history of this world. This will let me get it done in no time."  
  
"That's good." Ice said with a charming smile. "So with all that time you save on research, you think you might be interested in going out somewhere with me later?"  
  
"Going out?" She repeated, "Like a date?"  
  
"Would you like it to be?" He asked moving closer. "There's a few more things I haven't shown you yet."  
  
Amara felt herself get warm as he moved closer. "I think there's a lot I haven't seen here, you think you could show me all in one evening?  
  
He grinned and moved even closer. "We make it into a few evenings, if you like?"  
  
Amara felt like she must be blushing by now. "I would like that..."  
  
She barely finished her words and he leaned over and kissed her. She probably wouldn't have mind if it lasted a lot longer, but a moment later he moved away.  
  
"Great, then I'll see you later Mar."  
  
'Mar? Did he just call her 'Mar?' Jaime thought to him self. Yuck! Amara liked Bobby's other self? Was it the same as kissing Bobby? He didn't care to think too much about it, all he knew is he had blackmail for later. He heard the door close, and the room was quiet. Finally! He would get some fresh air! Then the door opened again.  
  
It was Tabitha, "Jaime? Jaime you in here?"  
  
At least it wasn't Ice and Amara. 


End file.
